The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-07-22
A Remarkable Trip.


had just issued from the proverbial
handbook, was stumbled over last night
at the Windsor Hotel, where he was
engaged in searching the tape line for
the last quotation for July wheat. The
set of Mr.. Rahill's hammer coat
was faultless his shirt bosom, from the
centre of which q lustrous opal shot
forth moonlike rays, was Immaculate
and unrumpled while his trousers,
marked by that latest freak of gentle
manly folly, the Prince of Wales crease,
fitted him in way that at once filed
with envy all the heavy swells of
Gotham who were buzzing about the
wide corridors.
at beats the world" Mr.. Rahill re.
marked, looking up from the paper
ribbon that he held between his thumb
and fore-fnger, sit is the greatest &C
complishment of the century,
"The Chicago wheat deal" queried
his listener,in vain effort TO catch his
drift.
"Nonsense y he returned, dropping
the line, and thrusting both hands into
mis- trousers pockets. "The Chicago
wheat deal is au old story. The same
thing has been done over and over
again. No, sir; / was speaking of the
train on which | left Chicago last even
ing, and on which | came into Jersey
City to-night-one of the new Vesti-
buled Trains that the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company has just put on be-
tween the two cities. It's the novelty
of the age, it's the-but stop, let me
tell you about it and you yourself will
have to hunt for terms sufficiently glow
ing to describe it. l came back to
Chicago yesterday afternoon after a
business trip west as far as Omaha.
| was dusty, dirty, and weary, and
longed for nothing 80 much as a bath
and good sound sleep. | was tired
OF the rumble and rattle of the cars,
the flying cinders, the cramped sitting
posture, the dust over everything, the
railroad lunchrooms, and the railroad
sandwiches. | made up my my mind
that l would settle down in Chicago
and never stir out of it AGAIN until
had to. Well, what do you suppose
happened When at four o'clock
rushed into my Office in State street
and dropped into my chair. there
among the letters on my desk before
me found an invitation to a friends
wedding in New York. Time: to-
night 7.30. | rallied at my unlucky
stars. Much as l despised railroad
travelling would have gone double
the distance to have seen that man
married. In days gone by we were as
were Damon and Pythias. l stated
the case to my partner, and growled
like seven bears because l had not
come home day earlier.
"'Well,' said my partner, after a
moments hesitation, IF you'd stop
growing and hustle about a little you
might get there yet "
"'Man aliver I exclaimed, you're
crazy. The Pennsylvania Railroad 9
New York and Chicago Limited, which
makes tho fastest time of any train east
leaves in less than an hour, and does
not arrive in New York until seven
o'clock tomorrow night. The wedding
takes place in church somewhere up
Madison avenue. Now, how in the
name of Heaven could gAt shaved,
put on a dress suit, and ride to the
church IN half an hour?'
"'You're behind the century, said Tom
Toms my partner, you know Trust
this matter to me, and III have you
there before the organlst strikes up the
wedding march, or you can call on me
for ten thousand bushels of July wheat
at TO-
"Well, just put myself trustingly
into his hands. The first thing he did
was TO start messenger off to my
house with my satchel, and Instructions
to put in my dress clothes and two
changes of underwear, and to be at the
Union Station by five o'clock sharp.
The next thing he did was to secure
a section for me on the Pennsylvania 8
Vestibuled Train for that afternoon ;
and it was only by luck that he got it.
Everything, | believe, had been en-
gagged for days ahead, but somebody,
who couldn't go, brought back his
ticket, and so was saved. At five
o'clock, still dusty, dirty, and weary,
| climbed into the most luxurious car
it has ever been my good fortune to
ride 10. ! found that the section of
which | was the lucky possessor for the
trip, was little deliciously upholstered
drawlng-room, with cushions and hang
ings of TINT that think have seen
described somewhere as crushed straw
berry. The fittings were of satin wood
and the ceiling was decorated in silver
There were silvered lighting arrange
ments too. Not gas brackets, my
friend, for the whole train is illuminat.
ed by electricity. Well, l found that
there was toilet-roOm connected with
that section of mine, which, together
with the section, could be cut off from
the rest of the train, and so if wanted
privacy | could have all | wanted.
did want it, because had number of
letters with me that | had found at the
Office and that | had no time to re ad
carefully before | started. | shut my
self in for while with my letters,
after washing my face and hands, and
getting the porter to give me a
thorough brushing,
"Then | became aware of the fact
that was hungry, and so l made in
quiry as to the dining car. 1t was for
ward, was told, and | strolled thither,
passing through another car on nv
way, Although we were running at
the rate of fifty miles an hour there
was no necessity of catching hold of
the seats to steady myself as | went.
That train glided along as smoothly as
a sleigh on polished runners over hard
packed snow, and | walked from one
end of it to the other as | would walk
through this corridor. | found the
rest of the sleeping car in which | was
located was upholstered in gendarme
blue, with woodwork of Hungarian
mahogany, and the way in which the
two colors harmonized was light
full change from what | had been used
to on the western roads. The vesti.
bule arrangement | found most charm
ing innovation. In passing from car
to car, there was no banging to of the